


Answering

by hyacintholuscos



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Carmilla Extended Universe, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 01:44:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3510512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacintholuscos/pseuds/hyacintholuscos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Read "Asking" first, as this is Perry's Point of View on the same events (or close enough to the same events) that happened in "Asking".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Answering

Perry was walking back from the grocery store just off campus, having gone for snacks for the floor don meeting that afternoon. It was her turn to do the snacks for the meeting, and after the failed vegetable trays, she had figured out they wanted processed everything.

She ran through her mental checklist of everything she had needed to get done that day: snacks had been purchased, drinks were chilling in her mini fridge, she had sent the email reminder that morning so no one would forget, texted Laura to see if she could spare 20 minutes to help setup, and when she got the response about Laura forgetting something that she had with Carmilla, she had gone online and ordered her a day planner for Christmas. It was amazing that Laura ever managed to do  _anything,_ or that Carmilla didn’t get more upset over being forgotten as much as she was.

She looked at her phone and saw another text from Laura.  _Hey, have you seen LaF today? They were supposed to stop by this morning, but they never showed up._ Perry frowned a little. LaFontaine had been really distracted lately, and whenever Perry asked them what was wrong, they mumbled something incoherent, and then changed the topic before she could press. They had also been spending a lot of time with Laura, which she might have doubted if she hadn’t gone into Laura’s room a couple times and found the two of them talking about doing something that no  _sane_ person at Silas ever tried, but Carmilla was there, and she knew that Carmilla wouldn’t let anything happen to them if they decided to follow through on their plans.

 _I’m sure they just had a class they forgot about when they said they would come by. I wouldn’t worry, sweetie. You know LaFontaine._ Perry was proud of herself; it had taken a while for her to adjust to using LaFontaine’s right name and right pronouns, but now she didn’t even think of them as Susan. And she knew LaFontaine was so much happier about it. Sometimes she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have them, especially after everything they had gone through with her before all of this.

Perry smiled, slipping her phone into her pocket and looking up in time to see LaFontaine walking out of a small shop just ahead of her. She could feel the smile that broke out on her face. She couldn’t help that smile whenever she saw them; it was like breathing; she did it without thinking. She started to call their name, but they were running to get back onto campus and didn’t look in her direction.

She looked at her watch.  _Oh, Chemistry right now. Why were they off campus this close to class?_

Perry walked up to the shop, looked up at the sign above the door and was overcome with curiosity. It was a jewelry store, one that she and LaFontaine had visited a few months ago on a date, joking about picking out rings for each other. Or, well, she assumed LaFontaine had been joking; she had been totally serious about paying attention to the rings that they liked. For the right time, of course.

 _It’s probably just something for their mom. Her birthday’s next month,_ Perry reasoned.  _A necklace, or a bracelet or something._

Yes, that was it. They had been getting a gift for their mom for her birthday. They had talked about it just last week, that they wanted to get their mom something really nice for her birthday this year, since she had been feeling kind of bad lately.

Perry smiled, going back to her dorm to finish an essay for her history class. It was the last thing she needed to do today before the don meeting, and maybe she would be able to plan a dinner with LaFontaine after. They hadn’t had a date night in a little while, and it would be nice to dress up and go out with them. And maybe she could ask them to show her the gift they had bought for their mom’s birthday.

***

Perry had been so relieved when the floor don meeting ended early, giving her an hour before her date with LaFontaine. She wanted to put some extra effort into how she looked tonight; it had been a while since they had really gone out, and she wanted to make it something special.

When she got back into her room, she sent Laura and Danny pictures of the two outfits she wanted to wear: a pale blue sweater with a silver necklace LaFontaine had given her on the date when they had become an official couple (the necklace had an “L” and a “P” for their names), or a dark green turtleneck with a thin gold chain that held a simple heart-shaped diamond that she had inherited from her grandmother. Either top would be paired with a long black skirt that she really only wore to dinner dates.

Instead of one or the other, she got texts from both Danny and Laura saying _DON’T GET DRESSED YET!_ Not even a whole ten minutes later they were both in her room and helping her pick out her outfit, playing with her hair, and pulling out all of her makeup.

“Are you two okay?” Perry asked them as Danny held up a v-neck dark green blouse that Perry didn’t recognize as belonging in her own wardrobe. Laura was running her fingers through Perry’s hair, apparently trying to twist the wild curls into an up-do and not doing a great job of it.

“We’re fine,” they said at the same time, and shared a look that let Perry know they were lying. At that moment, Carmilla came in, trying to look disinterested.

“Ah, so  _this_ is where you went. I was wondering what had happened, cupcake.”

Laura smiled at the vampire, and Perry watched them closely in the mirror that hung on the back of her bathroom door (the only logical place for the full-length mirror). Yes, still head over heels, and not even a little embarrassed about it. The best part for Perry was seeing that it didn’t hurt Danny anymore to see Laura looking at Carmilla like that. It had taken her a long time, but she seemed happy now, and she was happy  _for_ them, which made Perry even more proud of her. She had grown up.

“Carm, do you think you could do Perry’s hair? I can’t get it to stay up. Please?” Laura added with a small pout when Carmilla didn’t answer immediately. Perry fought the urge to smile; Laura still believed she needed to convince Carmilla to do anything. She didn’t seem to know just how smitten the vampire was.

Carmilla met Perry’s eyes in the mirror and they shared a knowing look. Perry didn’t know if Carmilla really thought of her as her friend; Carmilla wasn’t the kind of person who really made  _friends,_ but Perry did consider her a friend, in her own mind.

“All right, buttercup. But you owe me later.” Laura let Perry’s hair fall out of her hand, leaning over Perry’s shoulder and grabbing an eye-liner pencil excitedly.

“I think I got everything together. Oh, you’re going to look so beautiful tonight!” Danny said, the clothes laid out on Perry’s bed. Perry eyed it in the reflection and decided it would look pretty good.

“Oh, damn. I forgot you still need to get dressed. Okay, Carm, don’t start her hair just yet.”

“I didn’t get the chance anyway,” the vampire said, leaning against the wall and smirking.

“Oh. Right.” Laura blushed, and Perry got ready to ask her what was going on, but she pushed ahead. “Okay, Perr get dressed, and as soon as you do, we’ll get started on your hair and make-up, and then you’ll be all ready!”

Perry kept wanting to ask what was going on, but Danny and Laura kept up a steady stream of comments as she dressed in the v-neck short-sleeve blouse that she was  _positive_ she had couldn’t remember buying (though it fit really well), dark jeans that were dressier than any other pair she owned, and dark brown ankle-high boots with a small heel. Danny dragged her in front of the mirror again, and Perry had to admit, she looked better than she would have looked in her original options.

“Now, hair and makeup,” Laura said, looking up at the clock. Perry looked up too, and was startled to see she had less than half an hour.

While Carmilla made quick work of getting her wild curls twisted up into an elegant up-do, Laura drew thin lines with the eye-liner and used small sweeps of the mascara brush to lengthen her eyelashes. It took only about ten minutes for Laura to triumphantly shout, “Done!” When Perry looked in the mirror again, she couldn’t help smiling. She looked  _good._

“You’re all getting brownies tomorrow,” she said, and she watched as they celebrated in the reflection (well, Danny and Laura celebrated, while Carmilla rolled her eyes and tried to look unaffected). “Thanks for all of this.”

“Well, we wanted to make sure your celebration tonight was special,” Danny said. Laura and Carmilla both gave her exasperated looks, but Laura actually hit her arm with an open hand.

“We don’t know if it’s happened yet or not.”

“Why else would it need to be-“

“I’m pretty sure they would have-“

“What are you two talking about?” Perry cut in, turning in her chair and raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” they chorused, turning to her and trying to fix innocent expressions onto their faces. Unconvincing expressions.

Carmilla sighed. “Laura, I thought we were doing that movie thing tonight? We’re going to be late, and your film teacher wouldn’t be okay with you missing it  _twice._ ” Carmilla grabbed Laura’s arm, and then looked at Danny. “Coming, Xena?”

“Yep,” Danny said quickly and they all left the room without even trying to make it look normal.

“Those three are  _so_ weird,” Perry muttered, turning back and looking in the mirror again. She really  _did_ look good; she would have to ask them for more pointers for her dates, and maybe ask Danny to help her pick out a new wardrobe… this new top looked really good.

She kept glancing at the clock, and when there was a knock on her door five minutes to six, she was convinced it was going to be a student coming with a last minute crisis that she would need to handle right  _now,_ and they wouldn’t be able to go on their date.

 _Oh no. I’ve delayed or canceled too many dates for you people. It’s my turn,_ Perry thought stubbornly, and so she didn’t answer the door right away.

“Perr, you hear?” LaFontaine asked as they pushed the door open after knocking a second time. Perry grinned hearing their voice, meeting them at the door and kissing them lightly before stepping back so they could see her outfit.

“Wow,” they finally said after a few seconds, looking her up and down.

“Do you like it?” she said, stepping back more and twirling around once.

“Wow,” they said again, their voice barely even audible, looking into her eyes that time. “Perry, you are so beautiful.”

 _Okay, they get double-batches of brownies for this,_ she thought silently, taking in LaFontaine’s outfit. The vest was pale grey, with a black tie that tucked into it, and they wore a new white button up shirt with short sleeves. They wore dark jeans like her own, and the entire outfit fit them so well that she couldn’t help grinning. “I may be beautiful, sweetie, but  _you_ are definitely the most attractive out of us. I’m going to have to beat away my competition with a stick.”

LaFontaine smiled and held the door open for her. “Perry, trust me: you have no competition.”

***

Perry was surprised when they got to the restaurant; it was expensive, the kind of place they only went to when one of their parents were in town, and their parents were paying. It had always struck her as stuffy and overbearing when they had been in with their families. With just the two of them, though, the restaurant’s dark interior felt a lot more intimate.

LaFontaine had become increasingly nervous through the dinner, and Perry kept giving them the look that asked them if everything was okay. Each time, they had flushed and grabbed her hand, pressing a soft kiss to the skin on the back of her hand.

So when they cleared their throat and said her name in the serious tone that they rarely used with her, she was ready to find out whatever it was that had them so nervous.

“Perry, I love you,” they said, looking directly in her eyes and holding her hand across the table. She was suddenly grateful for the really small table, so it was easy for both of them to reach each other’s hands.

“I love you, too,” she said immediately, squeezing their fingers supportively. The smile on their face let her see their nerves calming at the response.

“I know. I know that you’re the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, the person who I want to share everything with. Every boring crossword puzzle and cup of coffee, and every moment of triumph, every little tiny detail that happens through the rest of my days until I die, I am going to spend with you. My best friend, and the person I love with all of my heart.

“I have been looking forward to this ever since we started dating, and even before then. I knew no matter what that it would be me and you, and now that it is, I am ready for whatever the future brings. Because you’ll be there with me.”

Perry smiled and squeezed their fingers, unable to speak through the stupid lump that was forming in the back of her throat. She blinked rapidly, refusing to let her eye-liner and mascara run, although she was pretty sure that Laura had used the water-proof type for both.

LaFontaine took a deep breath, and they looked into her eyes again while sliding out of their chair and getting down on one knee. Perry felt herself actually stop breathing.

 _Necklace my ass,_ the part of her brain that had seen this coming ever since seeing LaFontaine leaving that jewelry store said smugly.

But LaFontaine was smiling and their hand was going into their vest pocket, and they were talking. “Lola Perry, will you marry me?”

And suddenly she wasn’t scared or nervous. She was confident. She was prepared for forever to start right  _now._

“Yes,” she choked out, tears falling now and sobs shaking her chest, but she didn’t look away from their eyes. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you!”

All of the tension that had been in LaFontaine the whole night fled, and they slipped the ring on her finger. The thin band with a single round diamond, simple, under-stated, but more beautiful than any of the garish rings that the jeweler had tried to convince them to look at on that date. It had been her favourite.

And then they were hugging each other and there was some polite applause from some of the tables around them, and when they kissed her, she couldn’t believe there had been a part of her that had thought it was too soon.

***

It took about an hour for Perry’s happy tears to finally calm down enough for her to see, and LaFontaine sat there with her, kissing the top of her head every once in a while and saying, “God, I’m so happy!” They also explained that Danny and Laura had known that they were going to propose that day, but that they had planned on proposing a lot earlier, and that the dinner was going to be a celebratory dinner, not the actual proposal.

“Oh. Well, that makes a conversation they had in my room earlier make a lot more sense. They were helping me get ready for the date.” They laughed together, and then Perry leaned in and gave them a soft kiss. “I’m so happy, sweetie.”

“Happy enough to want to announce it to our nearest and dearest friends?” They asked with a smirk. “Because if you aren’t going to send the announcement to them, I will.”

Perry chuckled, and pulled out her phone. “I suppose they deserve to know, since they only risked spoiling it about ten minutes before the date.” She let LaFontaine take the picture of the ring on her hand, and then she typed up the message before sending it off and turning her phone off for the night.

_I SAID YES_

 


End file.
